Zelda: Skyward Sword walkthrough, story guide and tips
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Nintendo Switch is a remake of the original game first released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011.
In Skyward Sword, you, of course, take the role of Link as he leaves his floating home of Skyloft to explore the surface world hidden beneath the clouds. Accompanied by the sword spirit Fi, you'll trek through a variety of dungeons in your quest to defeat a near-forgotten evil.
Our Zelda: Skyward Sword walkthrough provides a step-by-step guide to help you complete Link's journey, along with a variety of tips to help you soar through the sky.
On this page:
- Zelda: Skyward Sword walkthrough
- Other Zelda: Skyward Sword guides
- Tips and tricks for Zelda: Skyward Sword
Zelda: Skyward Sword walkthrough
Skyward Sword follows a linear storyline of tackling seven dungeons. Amongst this dungeon crawling, you'll also need to complete a variety of other activities, such as competing in the Wing Ceremony or exploring the forgotten surface world.
Below lies our Skyward Sword walkthrough, which is organised by the locations and dungeons you'll visit in order to complete Link's quest.
This walkthrough does, however, contain major spoilers for the entirety of Skyward Sword, so read at your own risk.
Skyloft:
- Where to find Link's Crimson Loftwing location
- How to win the Wing Ceremony, meeting Fi and the Goddess Sword location
First dungeon - Skyview Temple:
- Sealed Grounds: Where to find the Elder Kikwi and Kikwi locations
- The Deep Woods: How to open the first dungeon
- Skyview Temple: How to beat the Stalfos and get the Beetle
- Ghirahim boss battle strategy for Skyview Temple
Second dungeon - Earth Temple:
- Place the Ruby Tablet at the base of the Goddess statue in Skyloft
- Visit Eldin Volcano - climb up to the Earth Temple
- Find the five key pieces around Eldin Volcano
- Earth Temple dungeon: How to get and use the Bomb Bag
- Scaldera boss battle strategy
Upon placing the Ruby Tablet, you'll be able to complete the side-quest - Finding Kukiel - to unlock the Gratitude Crystals.
Third dungeon - Lanayru Mining Facility:
- Place the Amber Tablet at the base of the Goddess statue in Skyloft
- Lanayru Desert - go through the Lanayru Mine
- Obtain the Hook Beetle by saving the robot in the Lanayru Desert
- Travel to the Temple of Time with the help of the Hook Beetle
- Reach the generator
- Find and activate the three nodes for the generator
- Activate the generator
- Lanayru Mining Facility dungeon: How to get and use the Gust Bellows
- Moldarach boss battle strategy
First visit to the Thunderhead and Isle of Songs
- First battle with The Imprisoned at the Sealed Grounds
- Visit the Headmaster at the Knight's Academy
- Position the first windmill, located between the plaza and academy, using the Gust Bellows
- Fix the robot at the Skyloft bazaar using an Ancient Flower
- Find the pinwheel in Eldin Volcano
- Fix the windmill above the houses and position it correctly
- Play the harp atop the plaza tower
- Isle of Songs bridge puzzle solution
- Obtain a new harp song - Farore's Courage
Fourth dungeon - Ancient Cistern:
- Faron Woods - Complete the Silent Realm challenge
- Climb inside and up the great tree and talk to Kikwi hermit
- Visit Lake Floria and talk to the Water Dragon
- Scared water location: How to find the sacred water
- Ancient Cistern dungeon: How to defeat the Stalmaster and find the Whip
- Koloktos boss battle strategy
Fifth dungeon - Sandship:
- Return to the Isle of Songs for a new harp song - Nayru's Wisdom
- Lanayru Desert - Complete the Silent Realm challenge
- Use the Clawshots to reach the Lanayru Sand Sea
- Skipper's Retreat - Use the Clawshots to reach the house atop the retreat
- Shipyard - Use the minecarts to travel through the yard and defeat the Moldarach
- Pirate Stronghold mini-dungeon: How to dowse for Nayru's Flame explained
- Sandship dungeon: How to defeat Screvo and find the Wooden Bow
- Tentalus boss battle strategy
Sixth dungeon - Fire Sanctuary:
- Return to the Isle of Songs for a new harp song - Din's Power
- Eldin Volcano - Complete the Silent Realm challenge
- Travel to and through the Volcano Summit
- Give water to the first two frog statues
- Visit the Water Dragon at Lake Floria
- Protect Scrapper as you climb back up Eldin Volcano, through the Volcano Summit, to the entrance of the Fire Sanctuary
- Fire Sanctuary dungeon: How to get and use the Mogma Mitts
- Ghirahim boss battle for the Fire Sanctuary
Finding the Song of the Hero:
- Second battle against The Imprisoned in the Sealed Grounds
- Go through the Gate of Time
- How to summon Levias
- Bilocyte boss strategy
- Third battle against The Imprisoned in the Sealed Grounds
- Faron Woods - Use the Groosenator to reach Faron Woods
- Talk to the Elder Kikwi
- Head inside the great tree to talk to the Water Dragon
- Find the Tadtones hidden underwater
- Return to the Water Dragon in the great tree
- Eldin Volcano - Smash jars until the Mogma appears and gives you back the Mogma Mitts
- Escape the prison using the Mogma Mitts
- Avoid the Bokoblins and use the Mogma Mitts to retrieve the Gust Bellows
- Use the Gust Bellows, avoid the Bokoblins and Mogma Mitts to retrieve the Clawshots
- Use the Clawshots, avoid the Bokoblins and use the Bomb Flowers to retrieve the Whip
- Use the Whip, Clawshots and Bomb Flowers tor retrieve the Slingshot
- Use the Clawshots, Slingshot to stun Bokoblins and Mogma Mitts to retrieve the Bomb Bag
- Use Bombs to reach the Volcano Summit and retrieve the Master Sword
- Head into the right-hand cave and use the stone to reach the other side
- Follow the caves, kill the enemies to retrieve the rest of your gear
- Return to the cave to the right of the Bird Statue and go through the entrance across the lava pool
- Break the ropes using your sword and Hook Beetle
- Talk to the Fire Dragon
- Lanayru Desert - Land at the Ancient Habour and return to the area with the Goron (Lanayru Caves)
- Roll a bomb into the crawlspace to reach Lanayru Gorge
- Use the Hook Beetle to retrieve the small key from the ledge beneath the dragon skeleton
- Activate the Timeshift Stone in the mine cart and use your items to bring to the dragon skeleton
- Talk to the Thunder Dragon
- Dig up the Life Tree Seedling
- Go through the Gate of Time in the Sealed Temple
- Plant the Life Tree Seeding and return to the present
- Take the Life Tree Fruit
- Talk to the Thunder Dragon
- Return to Levias in the Thunderhead
You will now be able to return to the Thunder Dragon and compete in the Lighting Round to earn the Hylian Shield.
Seventh dungeon - Sky Keep:
- Skyloft - Complete the Skyloft Silent Realm trail
- Place Stone of Trails into the bird statue near the lake
- Clawshot your way to Sky Keep
- Sky Keep dungeon: How to find the Triforce of Courage, Wisdom and Power and small key location
The New Sealed Grounds:
Other Zelda: Skyward Sword guides
From material gathering to Heart Pieces, there are a variety of side activities for you to complete in Skyward Sword and, below, you'll find our guides dedicated to them:
Collectibles:
- Empty Bottle locations: Where to get empty bottles explained
- Gratitude Crystals side quests, locations and rewards: How many Gratitude Crystals are there?
- Heart Pieces: Every Pieces of Heart location and Life Medals explained
Gratitude Crystals Side Quests:
- Finding Kukiel: Where is Kukiel and how to unlock the Gratitude Crystals
- Missing sister location: Where to find the missing sister explained
- Tiolet paper and the haunted restroom: Where to find paper explained
- Party wheel location: How to get the party wheel for Fun Fun Island
Recurring Bosses:
Gear:
- Adventure Pouch: How to upgrade the Adventure Pouch and the Item Check
- Shield: How to unlock the Hylian Shield and upgrade Wooden, Iron and Sacred shields
Tips and tricks for Zelda: Skyward Sword
Here are some tips and tricks which will help you complete Link's quest in Skyward Sword:
- Remember to change your shield! Aside from the Hylian Shield, there are three main shield types you'll use in Skyward Sword - Wooden, Iron and Sacred. Each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so it's always a good idea to ensure you have the right shield before leaving Skyloft.
- Repair your shield. Most of the shields in Skyward Sword have a health metre, which decreases as they take damage. Thankfully, your shield can be repaired at the Scrap Shop in the Skyloft bazaar.
- Upgrade your items! Many of the items you find in Skyward Sword can be upgraded in the Scrap Shop in the bazaar. Doing this will increase the abilities of said item - from its speed to the amount of damage they deal.
- Have a variety of potions on hand. Potions will grant health, stamina and even make Link invincible for a small amount of time. You can even enhance their effects by bringing the potion makers in the Skyloft bazaar specific bugs.
- Always remember to organise your Adventure Pouch before leaving Skyloft! You can only bring a certain number of additional items with you, so make sure you bring at least one potion, a shield and any medals or items like additional bomb bags.
- Collect every Heart Piece you see. Collecting four Heart Pieces will increase Link's health metre by one Heart Container, which will help you survive the toughest of boss battles.
- Hit every Goddess Cube with a Skyward Strike. Throughout the surface world, you'll find grey Goddess Cubes, which, when hit with a Skyward Strike, will unlock a chest in the sky. These chests hold a variety of useful items - from Heart Pieces to Rupees - so make sure you hit every one.
- Catch bugs when you see them! While bugs can be used to enhance potions, collecting them can involve a bit of backtracking. For this reason, it's a good idea to catch a bug whenever you see it.
- Sell extra bugs and materials for Rupees. If you're in need of extra Rupees, then explore Skyloft during the night. Strich, who lives in the Knight's Academy, will buy three randomly selected bugs, while Rupin, who runs a shop in the bazaar by day, will buy four random materials.
- Carry medals in your Adventure Pouch for bonuses. From an extra heart to increasing the duration of specific potions, medals provide you with useful bonuses throughout Skyward Sword. You can find medals in chests or purchase them from Beedle's Airshop.
- Talk to Fi if you're well and truly stuck. Fi is always there to point you in the right direction or give you hints about what's occurring on Skyloft.
Have fun in Skyward Sword!
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